Dust to Dust
by EraticMind
Summary: You're like a mirror, reflecting me. We've been lonely, too long. T for cussing. Continued after about a year. R&R
1. Chapter 1

Dust to Dust

SasuHina

Their first meeting happens by accident. In fact, it barely even counts as a meeting. He's on his way to report to the Hokage when he sees from the corner of his eye a bright, sudden, flash of blue. Like a moth to a flame, he's drawn to it. But what he sees isn't quite what he expected. Kneeling in front of the memorial stone is a figure. Straining his ears, he listens for any kind of indication that the person in front of the stone has noticed it. The chakra feels familiar to him though, as if he should know who it '_Where have I felt this before?' _Sasuke thinks to himself. It isn't until he hears the person mutter "It should have been me. Neji-niisan" '_Ah, the Hyuuga girl. Hina….something. Hn. Not any of my business.' _ Curiosity quenched, he leaves just as silently as he had arrived, unaware that the figure, _Hina, _has had her Byakugan active the entire time. She watches him leave from the corner of her eye. _'Sasuke'._

The next time they see each other, they meet _properly. _

She's going through her, _his, Neji-niisans,_ Katas when she sees him from the corner of her eye, watching her with his red eyes ablaze. Turning her head, she catches his eyes and holds his stare. Surprised, although he'd never admit it, he sees something in her that looks so familiar but he just can't seem to put his finger on it. "Hina." He says, in his deep, ice cold voice that reminded her so much of her _Neji-niisan_, "Train with me."

There's something in the tone of his voice that stops her from correcting him. "Ano, Uchiha-" He interrupts "Sasuke. My name is Sasuke. No formalities. It's not a request, Hina." She's startled by his abruptness but instead of declining, she slips into a more comfortable form. "Hai, Sasuke." Before she can dwell on this weird occurrence, he attacks her, as swift as the snakes he summons. But as he hits her, _Hina,_ bursts into a cloud of smoke and in her place is a wooden log. Stilling, he listens for the whistle of a kunai '_There! Six kunai! ' _All coming from different directions, heading straight towards different parts of his body. Crouching, he jumps up into the air just as the first kunai hits the ground and explodes. _'Explosive tags. Tch' ._ Flipping backwards and using a burst of chakra for momentum, he lands on his feet, glued to the tree by chakra. But before he can retaliate, he sees a note in the middle of the crater created by her explosives. Jumping down and reading it quickly, he clicks his tongue before jumping away, taking the note with him. "Tch. I'll hold that to you…..Hina."

'_Mission. Maybe next time, Sasuke. –Hinata'_

It isn't until the next morning, as he's looking in the mirror after washing his face, does he realize that the look he had seen in Hinatas eyes is the same as the look in the eyes of the person he sees every morning. His own.

_Pain. Loneliness. Regret. Pain. Loneliness. Regret. _

The next time Hinata sees Sasuke is at Ichiraku's Ramen stand. Naruto had arranged a reunion of sorts with the rest of the Rookie 9. "Hey guys! How's everyone been?" Boisterously, as only he can, Naruto swings one arm around Kiba who doesn't even break conversation as he shakes of Naruto's arm, "Piss off Uzumaki." and the other arm around Ino who had just finished berating Choji for trying to feed little Asuma-kun bbq chips. "Cho! Nai-Okaa will be furious when she finds out you've been feeding him that rubbish!" Sighing, Shikamaru shakes his head and rests his head on his arms '_tch. Troublesome.' _"Jeez, you guys would think that after everything that has happened these past few years, we'd all be glad to be together, healthy and alive, right! Eh hehe." Laughing and scratching the back of his head in a nervous manner, he doesn't notice when Lee's smile slowly drops from his face and TenTen's quick departure. He doesn't notice when the conversations around him slow to a stop and a solemn silence takes its place. Naruto has no time to catch on to the atmosphere around him as Hinata lightly giggles and says "Ano….You're still the same, Naruto-kun."

Sakura twitches and hits him upside the head before he can say anything else stupid "*_whack!* _"Ow, Sakura-chan! What'd you do that for?!"Rubbing his sore head indignantly and lightly blushing as Hinata tries to stifle a giggle at his attempts, slowly, bringing and awkward sort of strained laughter back into their surroundings. Laughingly, Kiba pats Naruto on the back, maybe a little too hard, "Some things never change, huh dobe?" Naruto coughs before straightening up and tries to put his arm around Sakuras waist "Well?! This is a party! First rounds of Ramen and Sake are on me!" Sasuke, who had been leaning on the wall next to the exit, looks over at Naruto and Sakura conversing with the members of Team Eight. Discreetly looking around the little joint, he notes how TenTen and Lee have left quietly and unnoticed. He watches Ino gently rocks Asuma as Choji pulls faces and Shikamaru watches from beneath thick lashes, smiling gently with what looks like reminiscence on his face. Lastly, his eyes settle on Hinata and how her smile and blush don't quite reach her eyes. He sees a flash of pain in her eyes before she blinks and it's gone with a light, fluttery, giggle in its place. _'Fake'. _

"Hina…ta. Come." Sasuke demanded before walking out, obviously expecting her to follow. Surpise crossed Naruto and Sakuras faces before Anger replaced it on Naruto. "hey you bastard! Don't just order Hinata-chan around like that!" But before he could continue his rant, Hinata had interrupted with a warm smile on her face and a soft touch on his arm "Naruto-Kun..It's alright. Ano, please excuse me." With a lingering touch on Kibas arm and a miniscule nod in Shino's direction, Hinata had gracefully turned on her heel and followed Sasuke out and into the open streets of their village. Neither needed to look back to see the jealousy flare brightly in Sakuras eyes '_Sasuke-kun and…Hinata?!' _

**A/N: Yeah, well, this little plot bunny has been bouncing around in my head for a while now. I know it's not the greatest but thanks for reading this far! Hopefully, I'll be able to update this soon. E.M.**


	2. Chapter 2

Previously:

_Neither needed to look back to see the jealousy flare brightly in Sakuras eyes 'Sasuke-kun and…Hinata?!'_

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><p>She doesn't know what to expect when she reaches him, but before she has a chance to ask him anything, he whirls around, grabs her forearm and in a flash of lightening and smoke, they've disappeared.<p>

Sakura and Naruto are a second too late and the only thing they have left of them is a couple of leaves and the smell of vanilla and lightening as their lingering scents dance in the breeze around the bright duo "What the hell was that?! Since when has Sasuke-Teme known Hinata-Chan!" struggling to stamp down the feeling of….jealousy?...Naruto takes in the quivering form of Sakura as she tries to supress her rage "Ne, Sakura-Chan….maybe he needs help with something that only she can help with…eh, hehe?" Clenching her fists so hard, her fingernails drew blood she turns and punches Naruto back into the Ramen stand "BAKA! WHAT CAN SHE DO FOR HIM THAT I CAN'T?! WHAT DOES SHE HAVE THAT I DON'T?! I'M STRONGER AND PRETTIER THAN HER!" In the midst of her outburst, Sakura hadn't noticed the damaged she had done until it was too late.

Naruto had crashed into the Ramen stand and like a domino effect, hit Choji who rolled into Ino and would have squashed her and Kyou if it hadn't of been for Kiba and Shino jumping between them and taking the brunt of the force and almost scolding Shikamaru with the hot untouched ramen that had been cooling in the middle of their table. With the baby crying loudly, Team Ten had decided to call it a night. Only sending a half-hearted goodbye to Naruto, they didn't spare a glance at the Pinkette as they passed her. Just as Ino passed her, ex best friend, she turned back for a second and caught her eye, muttering "Maybe….it's because she's not as selfish and conceited as you are….Sakura. Have a good night." Not bothering to wait for a response, Ino spun back to catch up to her boys who had stopped and waited for her, with Shikamaru contently rocking Kyou and Choji trying to feed him chips, the four of them walked back to Kurenai's in a comfortable silence.

As Sakura shivered with rage and embarrassment she didn't notice as the rest of Team Eight came to stand behind her until the heavy weight of Kibas clawed hand gripped her shoulder. Sharp canines bared in her line of sight as Kibas upper lip curled back in disgust, growling so low and fiercely she could barely make out the words he said "If you ever, and I mean EVER, degrade our team mate like that again Haruno….you will have to deal with us and by the Gods you better pray that that'll NEVER happen!" As he growled out the last of his sentence, Sakura had gained the courage to slide her gaze to the quietest member of the Rookie Nine. Shino didn't have to say anything for the Kikaichu that buzzed around him in an agitated manner expressed his emotions far more efficiently than what could be put into words. Nonetheless, Shino gave his input as Kibas claws slightly dug into the Pinkettes shoulder "Naruto-kun….Perhaps you and your team mate here talk about fixing up Teuchi-sans stand." Naruto, who was still sitting shell-shocked on the ground jumped up and sped over to Kiba and Sakura in a flash of bright orange and blond hair "That's enough Kiba. You've made your point. Let her go." A few beats later and Kiba retracted his hand with a snarl "Fuck you Uzumaki! This _bitch_ has the audacity to belittle THE ONLY ONE to EVER have your back and believe in you in ANYTHING! AND YOU LET HER! FU-" But before anymore cussing could be said, Akamaru whined and licked his clenched fists in an attempt to calm his master, regardless of the fact that the hairs on his body were standing on end, ready to attack the Pinky at any time. "Kiba. We should go. Hinata is safe. That's all that matters." Kiba let out a low snarl before beckoning Akamaru to follow him down the road towards the Inuzuka compound. Following his canine team mate, Shino stopped and stood in front of the bright duo, looking Sakura in the eye "Hinata has qualities that you can only be born with. Unfortunately for you Haruno, those qualities only come around once in a lifetime. Naruto, I had hoped that over time you would have opened your eyes to see what we have all seen since before we were genin. Just remember that you had your chance. And you wasted it. Good night to you both." And then he was gone, already having caught up to his team mates and his companion.

Standing in a strained silence, Sakura let out a strangled sob as Naruto contemplated over what had just happened. _What did Shino mean? Wasted chance? And….why did Hinata leave with him….what's this feeling? _ So lost in his musings, Naruto didn't notice as Sakura turned sad bloodshot eyes to him, taking in his posture and trying to read the emotions that flew across his face _It's always been Sakura-chan the one for me….right? I mean, deep down, I know that she loves me….she told me so herself…..didn't she? Then….why is she so angry over Sasuke-Teme and Hinata-Chan? Hinata-Chan has always been so…nice and kind to me…Maybe, that is what Shino had meant? _"Ne, Naruto-kun? Don't you agree with me? You don't think I'm selfish…right?" Not meeting her gaze and still contemplating the course of events that had taken place little under an hour ago, Naruto turned around to hand Ayami a pouch of yen to pay for the damage and to help her salvage what could be salvaged "Maybe, you should go home Sakura.." lacking the energy to turn back and face her "Maybe you should go home and rest. Cool down. I'll…see you tomorrow." Before raising a hand and walking back into the deserted restaurant leaving the Pinkette outside to reflect on herself and her peers reactions except….the only thing she could think of was ghostly white eyes crinkled in serenity as they looked into dark ebony orbs that softened at the sight of her. _Over. My. Dead. Body. I deserve to be with Sasuke-kun! I devoted myself to him since I was young! I refuse to lose the love of my life to some…some…WEAK NOBODY! _Fists clenched and shoulders tense she shouted "FINE! Be that way Naruto!" before storming off in the direction of her apartment. _I'll see that damned Hyuga and tell her to back off of my Sasuke-kun! Shannaro!_

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><p>Across the village, a pair of raven haired ninja stood face to face, each trying to get a read of what was going through the others head. <em>Maybe I should have waited until everyone left…..che. Nah.<em>

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><p><strong>AN: Word count. 1,154.**


	3. Chapter 3

Dust to Dust

Chapter 3 version 2

SasuHina

Previously: Across the village, a pair of raven haired ninja stood face to face, each trying to get a read of what was going through the others head. _Maybe I should have waited until everyone left…..che. Nah._

Unaware of the conflict that had occurred due to the suddenness of their departure, the two Shinobi sat atop the villages very own Hokage Mountain, overlooking the bright lights that lit up the hidden village they, along with their peers and comrades strove to protect. "Ano, Sasuke? What is it that you wanted?" With the same serene smile on her face that she had adorned throughout the evening, Hinata turned to face Sasuke with slightly empty lilac eyes. Unperturbed, Sasuke caught her eyes and stared long and hard at her "I know you saw your cousins team leave."

Watching as her eyes dimmed in either remembrance or understanding, he couldn't digest, he waited a little impatiently for her reply. "Humans are fickle creatures, as you know. We each grieve in different wa-"before she could carry on with this seemingly boring dialogue "Cut the crap. Hyuuga. You of all people had more than enough rights to leave then and there or deck him like Sakura did." Unbidden by his rude interruption Hinata looked at him with her ghostly, all knowing eyes and her serene mona lisa smile and said "For every hurt that comes with even the slightest mentioning of my cousin, whether it be intentionally or not….I deserve every single one and more…."

Eyes widening slightly, Sasuke leant back to take another look at her face, taking in everything about her, from the slither of skin bared to the world on her wrists, to the straps of her sandals where her ankles were exposed. He searches, discreetly for any kind of _Self Punishment _she might have acquired. The slashes on his back that he _accidently_ forgot to bandage burned in response. In an uncharacteristic move, Sasuke reached over and grabbed her hand tightly, squeezing it in a comforting gesture he hadn't known to be capable of. She in turn, broke her façade and let her mask of serenity crack just a little "I-it w-was my f-fault….Please! Let go! I don't I don-….Sasuke" Turning, she buried her face into the crook of his neck and clung on to him tightly.

Dry sobs wracked her body as the tears that burned her eyes threatened to fall in big drops _No! I refuse to cry! I don't deserve to shed even a single tear over losing my beloved nii-san….especially since it was my fault…all my fault! _Unaware that she had been speaking aloud, Sasuke gently rocked her back and forth in an embrace that had her curled up in his lap like a child. _She's like a mirror…reflecting me._

Sitting there, holding her in an embrace he only ever had experienced as a child when his mother was still alive, Sasuke didn't bother to console her with words. Instead he consoled her in the only way he knew how, physically. Tightening his hold on her as if he were trying to give her the strength she needed when in reality he couldn't tell who was clinging to whom.

Hours flew by and the ravenette had fallen asleep, exhausted by the slight emotional breakdown he had induced, she dreamt of long chocolate hair, warm lilac eyes much like her own, holding her just as tightly as the ebony haired shinobi in the real world was _I miss you nii-san…. __**I know, imouto. I'm here now. **__I-I'm so sorr- Please! Please d-don't l-leave m-me…please __**Hush, Hina-chan. Sleep. I'll always protect you. **__Ano, nii-san?…I….I love you __**I know, I love you too. Now, rest. You'll be safe and sound when you wake up. **__Promise you'll be there when I wake? Please…__**I promise.**_Smiling softly and drifting into a deep sleep filled with meadows brimming with full and vibrant flowers, her dreams are filled with the scents of vanilla, pine and wild flowers while the sound of child-like innocence, ignorance and laughter filled the air and the rush of unconditional love of the only man who had only ever loved her, even when his mind had been clouded, and had died for the love he will only ever feel for her. _Neji._

Sasuke watched as a small sad smile graced her face and a lone tear escaped the confines of her thick lashes. Unwilling to move from the spot they had settled in, he shifted a little, careful not to disturb his slumbering company, and gazed up at the stars wondering what his mother and father would think of him if they saw him now. _Mother, Father. If you can see me now, are you proud of the man I feel I am becoming or- *sigh* this is so stupid._

He sat there in a comfortable silence reflecting on the enigma sleeping in his arms.

**A/N: Not a long chapter, I know. But I'm working on it Also, Thank you for the reviews and I'm glad that you liked what you read so far. On another note, if there is anything you'd like to share or if you have any ideas on what you want to read then you're more than welcome to share your thoughts and opinions. Thank you! Read&Enjoy! **


	4. Chapter 4

Dust to Dust

Chapter 4

SasuHina

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Birds were singing their morning tune, the scents of the village markets wafted through the air and the sound of children's laughter rung through the air as they made their way to the Ninja Academy.

Across the town, away from all of this, a man slinks away from the window he had snuck his unaccounted _friend_ through the night before. With a final glance back at the sleeping beauty, he silently takes in the peaceful smile on her face, burning the image into his mind, before he slips away with a grace that comes from being an Uchiha, just in time for the morning patrol of the Hyuuga Clan to arrive. He didn't even leave a trace of his chakra behind.

But deep inside the halls, a man sits stoically with his Byakugan activated focusing in the direction of his eldest daughter, and heiress's, room. "Hn, The last Uchiha." _What is it that you want with my daughter, I wonder._

(Line break)

With the scents of the Villages markets drifting in the air and into her pink accented bedroom, Sakura wakes up with a frown on her face and bags under her eyes. Getting up and slamming her window as lightly as she can, without shattering the glass or window pane, she silently mutters about how she really should get a new apartment facing away from the villages markets and their tempting scents. _Maybe that's why Sasuke-kun decided to move back to the Uchiha Compound *squeals* Maybe he'll even let me stay in one of the houses! Better yet…with him!_ And so, with hearts in her eyes and a dreamy smile on her face, she thinks and daydreams of the _perfect_ scenario that'll take place later on that month, no, _that week_, especially if all goes to plan. _Just you wait Sasuke-kun! I'll prove to you that my heart and love is worth a million! And a lot more than Hinatas and Ino-pigs! __**Shannaro!**_

Mood uplifted, she skipped off to the bathroom humming. _Soon, Sasuke-kun wouldn't be able to resist me._

(Line break)

"Man, don't you think it was a little intense last night? I mean, Sakura isn't usually like that…but….for her to go off like that about Hina-Chan? Ne, Shika?" Ino inquired as she prepped and arranged an assortment of bouquets while Shikamaru lazily watched the clouds outside. "Troublesome." Whirling around and placing her hands on her hips, Ino glared at him "Sakura had no right, Shika! No right at all! It doesn't matter that she threw away our friendship away because of Sasuke-kun, Noooo, she has to go and stomp all over the one girl who would even think of befriending her! Even though Sakura knew, _everybody knew, _of Hinatas feelings for Naruto, she still went an-"cutting herself off and puffing out air in indignation, in a calmer matter said "If anyone deserves happiness, it's Hina-chan." Before going into another rant about how unfair, selfish, self-centred Sakura is. "Sakura is only human, Ino. She needs to get over her infatuation. Just like how you used to be, ne?" letting out a chuckle, Shikamaru couldn't help but admire the way her ice blue eyes looked even more vibrant when she was spewing in anger. _Troublesome_

(Line Break)

Jumping through the air and running over rooftops, Sasuke made his way towards Narutos apartment. Instead of knocking on the door, he casually perched himself on Narutos windowsill. Watching a little disgustedly at the way Naruto slept with no shirt on, snoring and scratching his butt ever couple of minutes. He decided to give him 5 more minutes of sleep, before throwing a kunai with precision at him. Narutos hand shot up and caught the blade inches away from his forehead "Wh-Whadyawan'?" without even glancing at the onyx eyed shinobi, he rolled over and tucked the kunai underneath his mattress. "I'm bored, dobe." _Let's train ._Reading and understanding his team-mates implication, Naruto grumbled before rolling out of bed. "Bastard. Coming into my home uninvited and demanding I entertain him" muttering more obscenities under his breath, he sludge towards his bathroom. Sasuke rolled his eyes at the Blonds antics and waited impatiently for him to finish. Soon, Naruto emerged from the bathroom in his usual orange and black attire "Alright! I'm ready to go!" Fist pumping and leaping out the window, Sasuke rolled his before following in pursuit "Tch, loudmouth dobe."

(Line break)

**A/N: And that concludes chapter 4. Thanks, you guys for the reviews and I'm glad that you like it so far. In regards to Sakura, She's not my favourite character by any means but I still don't wish to bash her too badly. She's selfish and manipulative, using Naruto as a rebound (in simpler terms) but a lot of girls do that when they're in 'Love'. And as they say, the first cut is the deepest. It just so happens that Sakura is a med-nin. Anyways if any of you readers have anything to say or inquire about then you're more than welcome to leave them in a review or pm me The next few chapters are being written now and I apologize for the delay in this chapter. –E.M.**


	5. Chapter 5

Dust to Dust

Chapter 5

SasuHina

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Blearily rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and smothering the ache in her chest, Hinata was awoken by the soft raps at her door "Hinata-sama? Hinata-sama?" with a cat like stretch, the bluette rose from her bed and gracefully made her way over to the door. "Ano, gomen Kuo-san. How may I help you?" blushing under the attention of the beautiful heiress, the young maid lowered her head "Hiashi-sama has asked you to join him and Hanabi-sama for brunch." bowing to her cousin "Ano, thank you Kuo-san. Please inform Otou-sama that I will be there shortly." Hinata smiled at the young maid and so, with a blush and a hasty bow, the maid retreated to pass the message on and to attend to other duties.

Hinata closed her door and made her way to her private bathroom. Slipping out of her clothes and Hinata hopped into the shower and quickly scrubbed her body, as she washed herself her mind started to drift and she found herself thinking of the enigmatic man that had spent the night with her in companionable silence _Sasuke-kun_ before remembering that her father wished to see her. She quickly got out, dried herself and dressed into a black turtle neck and dark green ninja pants. After strapping on her kunai pouch and hiding various senbon all over her body, she slipped on a loose cream kimono with the Hyuuga clan symbol stitched into the back. After tying her obi securely, she looked up and locked eyes with her reflection. She stared long and hard at the young woman in the mirror who stared back in hatred, sorrow, guilt, loneliness and above all, sadness. Slowly, she blinked, fixed her mask and walked out the door, locking it behind her.

She gracefully and purposefully walked, more like glided, along the hallways of the main branch compound, occasionally greeting her family members with a smile on her face. Before long, she was at dining room where her family usually had their meals. "Otou-sama, Hanabi-chan." Bowing respectively before taking her seat on the left side of her father, a sharp ache shot through her chest when, as she looked across the table she locked eyes with lilac eyes and chocolate hair. For a second, she imagined they were those of her beloved Neji-niisan, and the second after that she mentally berated herself. Smiling warmly at her little sister, hiding the pain away, she started on her meal after she saw her father nod for them to eat.

Hiashi, catching the exchange, mentally sighed as the images of his wife, brother and finally his nephew, filled his head _ -ototou. Neji-kun._ _If only things had been different, ne? _ Having dwelled enough, he decided now was the perfect time to ask his eldest a question that had been in his mind since she had been _brought_ back home. "Hinata" swallowing her food, she put down her chopsticks as Hanabi slowed down in her eating to listen to the conversation "Hai, Otou-sama?" eyes closed and breathing even, he asked his eldest "Where were you last night?" Hanabi cocked an eyebrow as her sisters eyes widened and her face flushed a pretty shade of pink "Ano, I was with my team and the other Rookie Nine teams, Otou-sama." Noting that it was nothing unusual, Hanabi turned back to her food "Then why, daughter, did Sasuke Uchiha return you this morning and not your team mates?" Hanabi almost choked on the rice she had swallowed as Hinata flushed bright red. Hiashi felt a faint trace of amusement and discontent at seeing his eldest daughters face _Just like you, Hana-koi. But that doesn't help considering the circumstances. I remember being a teenager. _Hiding a grimace at the thought of the reason behind Hinatas blushing, he sat stoically waiting for his daughters to regain their composure.

(Line break)

Sasuke and Naruto stood about 50 metres apart, panting heavily. Sasuke, with his obsidian eyes and Naruto his cobalt blue, eyed each other from across the training field. Their kunai pouches and weapons, as per agreement, were left at their respective homes. The two Shinobi leapt at each other and in a flurry of kicks, punches and flips, knocked each other to the ground again. Kneeling and cradling his aching ribs, _cracked not broken_, Sasuke eyed the blond shinobi in front of him in a semblance of amusement and brotherly affection, although the blond had face planted when they landed, heavily breathing, not even bothering to turn his head. "Guess I win this time, dobe." Chuckling softly Sasuke flicked a pebble at Narutos prone form.

**A/N: Sorry about the lack of updates but thank you to everyone who has read this and taken the time to review, your feedback is greatly appreciated. To everyone who somehow stumbles upon this fic, I am determined to complete it. Ideas and Opinions are more than welcome **


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